Kato-san Tsuchime Ginsan Kiritsuke 210 mm

Yoshimi Kato

Yoshimi Kato works out of the Takefu Knife village and took over the Family business from his father in-law in 2013. His Father in-law Hiroshi Kato-san started the shop in the late 1960's and was inaugurated as the 4th Chairman of the Takefu Knife village in 1994. Making incredible knives runs in the family obviously and we're very excited to have these incredibly sharp knives in our shop. They have one of the most beautiful damascus patterns we have ever seen and are sharpened by famous knife sharpener Makoto Kurosaki; brother of one of our favorite knifemakers Yu Kurosaki.

The Takefu Knife Village is a cooperative workshop in the Echizen region of Japan. It is the home to a long list of blacksmiths that we work with and many young and upcoming apprentices learning the trade. The area has a 700 year long history of smithing with roots in agricultural tools turned cutlery powerhouse. 

The Knife

The Kiritsuke is an all purpose knife geared more toward the professional than the home cook though it's a great option for home cooks who prefer a longer knife. This knife is double beveled and is therefore suitable for both right and left handed users but traditionally the Kiritsuke is single beveled and only the head chef is permitted to use one in traditional sushi restaurants. 

Kiritsukes function much like a gyuto or chef's knife and can be used for basically any task. They are a great option for those who prefer to use an up and down, forward and backward chopping motion rather than a rocking motion due to the lack of curvature to the blade. This coupled with the K-tip (aka reverse tanto tip) make it a fantastic slicing knife as well, although the k-tip is much more delicate than a traditional curved tip. Typically, kiritsukes carry a flatter profile and are more suited to push/pull cutting style, as opposed to the rocking motion.

Knife Care (Stainless Steel)

• Although this knife is made from stainless steel we do still encourage our customers to keep their knives as dry and clean as possible.
• NO DISHWASHER - the high heat will ruin the wooden handle.
• Wash and dry by hand using regular dish soap and warm water using a none abrasive sponge or cloth.
• Ensure the knife is dry before being put away for storage and ensure the edge of the knife is protected to avoid any unnecessary dulling.
• Avoid Bones, Frozen foods, nuts and hard candies or anything other than fruits, vegetables and proteins.